Sunday Mornings by Tyler

A faith shift that I’ve been trying to emphasize in my life is my approach to Sunday morning. As a pastor my Sunday mornings are tied up with leading the church in worship, in prayer, and often in opening God’s Word to teach from it. I love the gathering of God’s church. It’s always a high point of my week. But Sundays are relentless. They keep coming. Just as one finishes, planning for the next one begins.

As with any routine, it’s easy for me to approach the Sunday morning church gathering time as just another week, no big deal. But here’s the reality of the church gathering on Sundays: they’re a war-zone. God’s Word is clear that the enemy “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1st Peter 5). Paul also reminds us that our battle often takes place in what is unseen (Ephesians 6). Eyes of faith help us to see and understand that anytime there is an effort to worship, glorify, and submit to God, the enemy will be prowling, seeking to thwart those plans.

As we prepare to gather as a community on Sundays, let us prepare for the battle of a faith-driven life. Satan desires that our pursuit of God would be incomplete, fake, and impotent. Jesus desires that we might see the transforming power of God’s presence in our midst, made possible through His sacrifice and unending life. How do you prepare your heart and mind for Sunday gatherings?